Ajax and Philoctetes: Greek, Latin and English

This volume contains two of the finest plays by Sophocles.
In the Ajax Sophocles examines the struggle of a hero who tries to preserve his devastated honor. Driven to madness by Athena, Ajax attacks and slaughters herds of sheep and cattle, mistaking them for the Greek army; when he discovers his shame, he concludes that the only way to preserve his honor is to take his own life..
In the Philoctetes, the struggles are between trust and deceit, and between the needs of an individual and the needs of the greater group.
Superbly crafted dramas, they represent some of the highest achievements of Greek dramatic art. The Greek text is accompanied by an excellent ad verbum Latin translation and a closely literal English translation, allowing the reader to more directly enjoy the art of Sophocles.